Tarrago Eggshell Leather Paint 053 – 25ml Opaque Off-White with Cleaner

Description

Tarrago Eggshell Leather Paint 053 – 25ml Opaque Off-White with Cleaner – the forgiving off-white, where pure white looks like correction fluid

Pure white is the hardest colour to put on a shoe. It is unforgiving about edges, it shows every ridge the brush leaves, and against leather that has aged even slightly it looks stark rather than clean, which is why a white touch-up so often ends up looking like correction fluid on a page. The repair ends up more visible than the damage was.

Eggshell is the sensible alternative. Tarrago 053 is a warm off-white with a trace of cream in it, opaque enough to cover properly and close enough to the tone of aged white leather that a repair sits down into the surface rather than shouting from it. On ivory, bone and off-white uppers it is far more convincing than white.

The bottle is 25ml and comes with a preparation cleaner in the box, which is the part most people would otherwise have to buy separately.

Why choose this eggshell leather paint?

• Warmer than white, and that is the point. White leather warms as it ages, so a bright white repair is always a shade out. Eggshell meets aged leather where it actually is, which is why the patch disappears. Hold a white cloth against an old white shoe in daylight and you will see how far it has drifted.
• Opaque enough to cover a scuff completely. This is a pigmented paint rather than a tint, so it hides the grey scrape underneath in one or two coats instead of merely lightening it. Anything deeper than a light graze is worth building in two passes rather than one heavy coat.
• The cleaner in the box does the preparation. Factory finishes repel paint, and pale shoes usually carry heavier finishes than dark ones. Wiping the area with the supplied cleaner first is what stops the colour lifting later. Pale uppers are also the ones most likely to have been treated with a stain repellent at some point.
• It flexes with the shoe. Pale paint on a rigid film cracks and then the cracks go grey with dirt, which is worse than the original scuff. This one is made to move with the upper.
• It works on synthetics as well as leather. A very large proportion of white trainers and summer shoes are coated synthetic rather than leather, and they take this paint perfectly well once cleaned. Check the label if you are unsure, though in practice the preparation and the method are identical.
• Small bottle, sensible size. Twenty-five millilitres covers a lot of toe caps and heel edges. Pale paint also goes off if it sits half-used for years, so a small bottle you actually finish is better value than a large one you do not. Give the cap a wipe before you close it so it seals properly between jobs.

How to use the Tarrago Eggshell Leather Paint 053 – 25ml Opaque Off-White with Cleaner

Clean, mask, then build the colour in thin coats. Pale paint is less forgiving than dark paint about thickness, so patience at this stage pays for itself.

1. Unlace the shoes and pack the uppers so the surface is held taut.
2. Wipe the area with the supplied cleaner until the cloth stops lifting finish.
3. Mask the sole, the welt and the stitching with low-tack tape.
4. Shake the bottle well and lay the first coat on thinly with a sponge or fine brush.
5. Leave twenty minutes between coats and build up two or three passes.
6. Give it a full day to cure before the shoes are worn or get wet.

My tip as a shoe specialist

Paint the whole panel rather than just the mark. On a pale shoe the eye picks up a difference in sheen almost as readily as a difference in colour, so a small repaired patch in the middle of an original panel tends to catch the light differently even when the shade is spot on. Taking the coat out to the nearest seam or stitch line gives you a boundary the eye already expects to see there, and the repair stops registering as a repair at all. It costs you one extra coat and a little more tape.

Specifications

Bottle, cleaner and finish

• Volume: 25ml bottle plus preparation cleaner
• Shade: Eggshell 053
• Also listed as: Off White 053
• Base: Flexible pigmented leather paint
• Apply with: Sponge or fine synthetic brush
• Surfaces: Smooth leather, faux leather, synthetics
• Avoid: Suede and nubuck
• Brand: Tarrago
• Cost: £11.99

Frequently asked questions

Is eggshell close to ivory or to cream?

It sits between the two, warmer than a pure white and cooler than a full cream. On most aged white and bone leathers it is a better match than either. Test it inside the heel in daylight before you commit to the toe.

Can I mix it with another shade?

Within the same range, yes. A drop of white will cool it and a drop of beige will warm it. Mix more than you think you need, because matching a mixed shade a second time is very difficult indeed. Note down the proportions you used somewhere you will find them again.

Will it stay white or go yellow?

It holds its tone well once cured. What yellows pale shoes is usually grime working into the surface rather than the paint itself, so a wipe-down every few wears does more for the colour than anything else. A soft brush and a barely damp cloth is all that takes.

Where can I buy the Tarrago Eggshell Leather Paint 053 – 25ml Opaque Off-White with Cleaner in the UK?

You can order the Tarrago Eggshell Leather Paint 053 – 25ml Opaque Off-White with Cleaner directly from Shoespecialist.co.uk. We offer free delivery on orders over £50, same-day dispatch when you order before 5pm, and a 60-day return policy.